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Barnstable County, Massachusetts

A shallow water table limits basements on 19% of Barnstable County's mapped land. Shrink-swell clay limits houses without basements on 0%.

45.8% of the county is in drought on the October 13, 2026 Drought Monitor map. FEMA's flood data list 537 flood losses here since 2016, 49% of them in buildings with basements. 56% of homes were built before 1980, against 50% nationally; the median home dates from 1977.

Data as of October 13, 2026 · sources

0%

expansive clay: shrink-swell limits slab homes

19%

high water table: limits basements

46%

in drought, October 13, 2026

56%

of homes built before 1980

Soil under Barnstable County

Expansive clay (limits slab homes)0.0%
High water table (limits basements)18.8%
Septic fields very limited80.2%
Clay swell (LEP, by area)0.6%
High-swell land (LEP 6%+)0.0%
Urban land, not rated1.1%
Mapped soil292,627 acres
Soil seriesShare hereSeries nationally: high water table
Carver30%n/a
Plymouth8%n/a
Merrimac6%n/a
Enfield4%n/a
Hinckley4%n/a
Barnstable4%n/a
Nantucket County: 16%Plymouth County: 51%Dukes County: 17%Bristol County: 63%Bristol County: 38%Newport County: 66%Norfolk County: 34%Suffolk County: 11%Barnstable County NantucketPlymouthDukesBristolBristolNewportNorfolkSuffolkBarnstable
Barnstable County (heavy outline) and nearby counties, shaded by high water table share.under 10%10-25%25-40%40-60%60%+

How we count · survey areas MA001 (2025-09-05)

What the numbers mean here

On 19% of Barnstable County's mapped land, soil stays saturated within about 6 feet of the surface for part of the year, which is basement depth.

Rain over the 12 months to August 2026: 39.29 in, 7.99 in below the 1991-2020 average year of 47.28 in.

USDA rates 80% of the land very limited for septic absorption fields.

Drought

45.8% of the county is in drought (D1 or worse) on the October 13, 2026 map. Part of the county was in drought in 52 of the last 52 weeks; the most was 100% of its area, in 29 weeks, most recently on the July 28, 2026 map.

October 21, 2025Share of area in drought, weeklyOctober 13, 2026
Category, October 13, 2026Share of county
D0 abnormally dry or worse100%
D1 moderate drought or worse45.8%
D2 severe or worse0%
D3 extreme or worse0%
D4 exceptional0%

Flood losses since 2016

537 flood losses since 2016, $14.3 million paid. The worst year was 2018, with 294. Foundations of the buildings, where recorded: 49% basements, 15% slabs, 20% crawl spaces, 17% elevated. Median water depth outside the building: 12 in.

YearFlood losses
20162
201753
2018294
201916
20208
202124
202260
202357
202412
20252
2026 to date9

Rain

Average year, 1991-202047.28 in
12 months to August 202639.29 in (-7.99)
202540.63 in (-6.65)
Wettest year since 18951972: 64.38 in
Driest year since 18951965: 25.54 in
Days with 1 inch or more, normal at HYANNIS (8 mi away)11.9

Homes

Housing units166,215
Median year built1977
Built before 198056%
Built 2000 or later13%
Owner-occupied81%
Median value, owner-occupied$629,000
Single-family detached82%

What repairs cost

Published ranges from cost guides, not quotes. More sources, and where they disagree.

WorkRangeSource
Basement waterproofing, US $3,000 to $10,000 Fixr, February 6, 2026
Sump pump installation, US $800 to $2,000 Fixr, January 31, 2025
Crawl space encapsulation, US $2,000 to $8,000 Fixr, August 29, 2025

Nearby counties

PlaceDistanceExpansive clayHigh water table
Nantucket County, MA 29 mi 0% 16%
Plymouth County, MA 35 mi 0% 51%
Dukes County, MA 36 mi 0% 17%
Bristol County, MA 48 mi 0% 63%
Bristol County, RI 58 mi 0% 38%
Newport County, RI 59 mi 0% 66%
Norfolk County, MA 61 mi 0% 34%
Suffolk County, MA 61 mi 0% 11%

Sources: USDA SSURGO (September 5, 2025) · US Drought Monitor (October 13, 2026) · FEMA NFIP v3 (September 9, 2026) · NOAA (August 2026) · Census ACS 2020-2024. Methods · Data status